TED NewsDesk, NEW DELHI: The Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Friday attended a virtual seminar on NEP. Addressing the seminar, Pokhriyal informed that more than ten nations had approached the Education Ministry regarding the National Education Policy. These countries have shown an eagerness to execute the Policy, added Pokhriyal.
The seminar was organised by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) on the subject, “NEP 2020- The Brighter Future of Education” on Friday. During the seminar, Pokhriyal said,
“The government is seeking paragraph-wise suggestions on how to go about implementing the NEP. So far 15 lakh comments have been received, and we are open to receiving more suggestions,”
Pokhriyal commented on English; he said many people suggest that to make a headway globally, the knowledge of English is uncompromised. He replies to such comments,
“I must say we are not against English, but mother tongue as a medium of education would help strengthen Indian languages. The government does not intend to impose any language on any state. We are in favour of strengthening 22 Indian languages, and we want to promote all of these languages,”
He added that English is not a language native to India. He asked those who support English to take note of countries such as Israel, the US, Japan, France and Russia. The language of instruction in these countries is not English but their respective native languages.
The new National Education Policy takes the place of the National Policy on Education that implemented in 1986. The new Policy is determined to make India an international leader in knowledge by creating unprecedented ameliorations in school and university education. To this end, Pokhriyal said,
“The main objective of NEP 2020 is to develop good human beings and not machines. It is a nation-centric policy, full of human values and with regards to innovation, knowledge, research, science and technology, it will be on the top on an international level,”
The NEP will implement a few changes including removal of MPhil programmes, regulation of fee, option to choose between 3 or 4-year undergraduate curriculum, the addition of 3.5 crore vacancies in universities and other higher education institutes, and a unified regulator of higher education.
He informed that a lot of suggestions, around 2.25 lakhs from all over India, have been implemented. He added,
“Perhaps it is the first such policy in the world which has seen such huge consultations with over 1,000 universities, 45,000-degree colleges, 15 lakh schools, 1 crore teachers and professors along with 33 crore students and their parents, politicians, state governments and their education ministers, chief ministers, parliamentarians and industry bodies.”
The attention received from other countries regarding the NEP is good news for the education sector since the effects of the new NEP will directly affect them, hence making them have a global reach. One hopes that such a broad reach would help Indians, ultimately, in ease of education and becoming apart of the worldwide education community.
